


Hideaway

by furbies



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F, Polyamory, Romance, Smut, celebrity closeting, lesbian polyamory, there is a plot too, well kind of anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-13 22:34:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5719498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furbies/pseuds/furbies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Camila doesn't know what Lauren and Normani are to each other, but she knows they're something. Something more than just friends who kiss when they're drunk, which is what they expect her to believe.</p><p>The girls of Fith Harmony work to juggle it all, their growing careers, a controlling management company, the public eye, friendship, love and when the lines between the last two get blurred.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Camila still found it weird. The way that the world seemed to move out of the way for them. Fith Harmony had become more successful than any of them could have imagined back when they were just a group of girls on the Xfactor. Yet even with the relentless touring and screaming fans, some aspects of fame still felt so fussy and unnecessary.

Like the way that while touring, when they stayed at a hotel, management would book out the entire floor for them. All that money spent, just to keep rooms empty and to keep people away. Or the way that if they wanted to drink at the hotel bar, management had an arrangement where the girls just had to let the hotel staff know they were coming and the bar would get closed off to the public, until Fith Harmony were finished with it. They would even make the bar staff sign non disclosure agreements. So that nothing that the girls said under the influence could be leaked to the press and tarnish their image.

She could see the logic in such an arrangement. Management had encouraged them to do any partying this way, at the hotel bars. It was obvious that management didn't know what partying was. Because hanging out with the same group of girls you see everyday and nobody else, just with alcohol added, didn't feel much like partying to her. But that was ok because she was mostly indifferent about partying anyway.

Their management didn't like to feel like the public image of the Fith Harmony brand wasn't under their control. If any of the girls were to go out clubbing, where they could be photographed, there was a 95 percent chance that they were there for business not pleasure. They were there to be seen and every aspect of their presentation was pre calculated. Who wore what and who was photographed leaving a club together was big gossip and big money. Management didn't like to leave that kind of thing up to chance.

So, with these limitations, since they were wanting to have a break from the stress of touring, the hotel bar was the place to be.

The room itself was visually impressive. A bright white room with tiled floors and glossy white statues in each corner. There were beautiful paintings adorning the walls in gold frames. Camila recognized them as being copies of famous painting from the renaissance period. If she had to describe the room in a word, expensive.

"Ugh, this place is so pretentious" Commented Lauren, a little too loudly as she looked behind her and noticed the same paintings that Camila had been looking at.

Normani put her hand on Laurens arm. "She's sorry. This place is lovely" She corrected her to the bartender, who had clearly heard the remark.

The woman behind the bar reassured that she was not bothered by her drunken criticism. Then she went back to wiping down the counter and shelves to busy herself through the absence of customers.

When Normani looked back to her like a teacher with a difficult child, Lauren kind of just laughed to herself. Which made Camila want to laugh too. Lauren's manners kind of went out the window when she drank, but she had a sort of charm where you just couldn't be angry at her. She could make you not want to take anything too seriously.

"I can't take you anywhere" Normani gave in and smiled too.

"You love me" Lauren teased and kissed her on the cheek, which Normani rolled her eyes at. "Besides, it's not like you're allowed to take me anywhere".

"She has a point there" Ally said, taking another sip of her sugary cocktail.

"It's probably for the best that we can't go bar hopping for real. With the way you two get when you drink" Dinah added playfully.

They all knew what she was referring to without it having to be said.

"You make me seem so out of control. I _know_ not to do stuff like that in public" Normani explained.

"Yeah, but does she?" Laughed Dinah, loosely gesturing at Lauren who had leaned her head on Normani's shoulder while they were talking. Kind of proving Dinah's point.

Lauren smirked and lifted her head up. "You don't trust me much do you?" She teased. Dinah raised her eyebrows at her. "But nah, I'm not out to management or to the public. Why would I take a risk like that? Some day, when I'm far far away from the dictatorship of our management, our record label, our contracts that say they get to control our entire public image, maybe then I will be ready to be known as _that lesbian singer_. But until then you don't have to worry about me. I know how to be discreet". She looked at Normani and smiled. " But I also know when I don't have to be discreet". She leaned in and kissed her to prove her point. "Besides, it's not like we're dating or anything" She added.

"You wouldn't just be known as that lesbian singer". Everybody turned to Camila, who had been so quiet they almost forgot she was there. Not that she was shy around these girls, it would be impossible to be with how much time they spend together. But everybody else was pretty drunk while she was still sipping at her second drink. It could be hard to get a word in when it's like that. "Sure, maybe to begin with, while people get used to it. But you are so talented and your fans love you. They see you as a whole person now, they'll see you as a whole person then". Camila paused and her voice got vaguely quieter, her face more serious. "And if they don't, I'll fight them".

The group laughed, mainly because Camila didn't suit fighting anybody. Camila knew this about herself, which was the main reason she liked to joke about it.

"Well thanks Cams. That's really nice of you to say. And I'll hold you to that, about the fighting, I mean".

Camila nodded and put her fists up, trying to look tough but actually just looking cute and getting more laughs.

"You're such a dork" said Lauren fondly.

"Hey do you want to come pick our next drinks?" Lauren's attention shifted from Camila to Normani who had asked the question.

"Yeah, totally." She bounced out of her seat and followed Normani to the counter.

The table got a fair bit quieter with them gone. Camila watched the pair go over the book of cocktails together on the other side of the room.

Eventually, after the new tray of drinks that the pair brought to the table were finished, the group decided it was time to go.

"Woah" Lauren mumbled as she stood up.

"It really hits you when you stand up, hey" Agreed Dinah.

Lauren nodded, steadying herself. "I'm fine".

Normani put an arm around Lauren's waist to help as they walked. Which didn't bother Lauren because it seemed like she was being affectionate rather than mothering her. And Normani let her believe that.

They group thanked the bartender and walked to the elevator and up to the level of their rooms.

 

 

After leaving the elevator and walking a little down the hallway, they noticed that some members of their group were missing. They turned around and saw that a little way back Normani and Lauren had stopped and were practically making out with each other. Which was pretty much to be expected whenever the group went to the hotel bars lately.

"Why don't you guys just date already?" Dinah joked, interrupting them from their kiss.

"I've told you it's not like that" Normani said. "I just really like to kiss people when I drink, is that a crime?".

"No, kiss whoever you want. I'm just commenting on how you seem to really like to kiss Lauren specifically" Dinah replied.

"We're just having fun" said Lauren, with her arm around Normani.

"It's not like I'm exactly surrounded with guys I can kiss when I drink" Normani said, her voice slightly strained.

"Hey, just leave them be" said Camila, the peacemaker.

"Fine.. and I guess you do have a point. Like literally, when was the last time we got to drink around guys when it wasn't a PR stunt?".

"My cousins wedding?" Answered Ally with a laugh.

Dinah shook her head slowly. "We lead sad sad lives". She was joking, Camila hoped.

"Anyway, we're gonna watch some movies then go to sleep" Said Lauren, subtly leading Normani to her room.

Ally looked at Camila sympathetically. "Do you want to come hang out with me and Dinah for a while?".

"Thanks, but I'm pretty tired. I might just wind down to go to sleep" She decided.

"Ok, well come see us if you get bored". Ally hugged her goodnight.

 

 

The girls went to their respective rooms. Lauren, who drank the most but could handle her alcohol the least, clumsily stumbled into her room with Normani, so carelessly that her door bounced off the frame when she closed it behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. Camila was worried just watching her, flinching when it looked like she hit her hip on the corner of the table.

Camila walked further down the hall, into her empty hotel room and sat herself down on the couch. She flicked through the TV channels until she found some bad old sci fi movie. She was getting used to not sharing her room with anybody and had gotten better at finding stuff to entertain herself. She used to be the person who Lauren always wanted to hang out with, not Normani. She couldn't hold it against her though. Since Lauren was her best friend she wanted her to be happy and Normani was a really nice girl, so she couldn't be angry at her either.

She tried to not take it personally and most of the time she wouldn't. But it was hard to not feel at least a little bit replaced.

Lauren and Normani had had this thing when they drank together. for quite a while now. Since a little after Lauren's last girlfriend broke up with her. Camila felt like the pair were different to how they used to be though. It used to just be that at a certain point in the night they would start kissing. And maybe sometimes fall asleep holding each other, well, the others didn't know about that part, but Camila had seen them.

But now, Camila had been seeing noticeably less of her best friend Lauren. And she had noticed all the small touches that weren't a part of their dynamic before. She didn't know what Lauren and Normani were. But she wasn't like the rest of the group, believing that they just liked to kiss each other when they were drunk.

That was possibly what bothered her the most and what felt like it had created the most distance between her and Lauren. The fact that Lauren was lying to her. That she didn't trust her enough to tell her if she and Normani were dating. Or that it was anything more than just drunken kissing. It just didn't add up with who she had known Lauren to be. Completely open and unapologetically herself. She would tell Camila everything about her love life normally, sometimes a bit too much. Well, actually, it was almost always a bit too much. But that was a part of her charm.

But since Normani things had been different.

Camila lazed on the couch watching her movie and scrolling tumblr on her phone. She debated ordering room service but decided that she would go to sleep when her movie ended instead. It was getting late and they had an interview scheduled tomorrow.

Her bed was clean and inviting, it drifted her off to sleep quickly. However, some time later she was disturbed by a loud bang, followed by glass shattering. She looked over to the clock on her bedside table, 2am. Then she remembered how Lauren's door had been open and her heart raced. She reassured herself that they had the entire floor booked for themselves and nobody even know which hotel they were using. But unfortunately, she had a tendency to worry and these reassurances weren't enough.

She had too many people around her, telling her to be careful, to take every precaution. It was hard not to internalize that. Not to mention the stalker on Lauren's tumblr. Since Lauren had told her about him she had been even more worried about something happening to her.

She jumped out of bed and carefully peered out her door. She was relieved she couldn't see anything abnormal, but she was not relieved that she could see that Lauren had not closed her door. The hallway was bright and empty, even the way the floor creaked under her feet added to her discomfort.

"Lauren, is everything ok?" Good work Camila, let the murderers know you're coming, she teased herself. A part of her knew she was being ridiculous and there was probably nothing wrong, but the anxious part of her wouldn't stop until she saw Lauren was safe.

There was no response. She was probably asleep. Since the door was unlocked, she decided to check.

Approaching the room, she noticed that the lights were on. She knocked softly, soft enough that they wouldn't be disturbed if they were sleeping but loud enough that she wouldn't feel rude if they weren't. Then she opened the door, there were muffled sounds telling her to stop and not come in but unfortunately she didn't register until it was too late.

 

The three of them seemed motionless, while processing the moment that had just occurred. There was Lauren, standing up, completely naked, still looking like she had been stopped midway through trying to block the door. And there was Normani, sitting on the table, which she had presumably been lying on before, judging by the smashed glass bowl to the side of it. Wearing nothing but a lilac bra and the shirt she had been wearing earlier, but completely unbuttoned. She had her legs clenched shut and was placing her hands over herself for modesty. Her eyes were wide and uneasy, watching for Camila's reaction.

"Camila" Lauren finally said. She was not making as much effort to cover herself up as Normani was. Which only made Camila more embarrassed and awkward.

"I should go" Camila blurted out and slammed the door shut. Then she realized how weird that was and added "I'm really sorry!". Her face felt like it was on fire. She turned and power walked back to her room, but when she was almost down the other side of the hallway, something stopped her.

"Camila wait!"

She looked over her shoulder and saw Normani was hurrying after her, wearing a skirt now, but not zipped up properly. She was doing the buttons on her shirt as she approached.

"I'm really sorry, I should learn how to wait after knocking. I promise it will never happen again" Camila stammered, avoiding eye contact.

"It's ok. It's pretty embarrassing, but it's ok". She sighed. She had finished buttoning her shirt and was looking a bit more dignified. "I was hoping that I could talk with you, with Lauren".

"Look you really don't have to, this is really none of my business" Camila dismissed politely.

"I know I don't have to, I want to". It was only then that Camila noticed the nervousness in her voice. It was not the Normani that she was used to. "Please?" She added.

Camila saw how Lauren was now waiting and watching them from the doorway, wearing a T-shirt and short shorts. Then she looked back to Normani, who was awaiting an answer.

Camila's body was overwhelmed and telling her to escape the situation, but she could tell it would mean a lot to Normani if she didn't.

"Ok, sure" She reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you" Normani said sincerely, forcing a small smile that contrasted with the uneasiness of her eyes.

Lauren moved out of the way to let them into the room.

 

 

Normani led the way over to the couch where she sat down with Camila and Lauren either side of her.

"So uh.. What's this about?" Camila finally said to end the silence.

"..Since you basically know anyway, I wanted to be honest, about us" She gestured at Lauren as she finished her sentence.

"Hey, like I told you, it's none of my business" It was a strange thing. How she had wanted Lauren's honesty so much, but now that they are actually offering to tell her, her impulse to be polite and avoid anxiety provoking situations was getting the best of her.

"It is your business though" Normani interrupted. "..Lauren is your best friend" her eyes cast down to her bracelet that she was fiddling with.

Camila noticed Lauren looking much more serious than usual, but it was like she was holding herself back. Waiting for Normani to finish.

"Ok, it's my business. Tell me then" Camila decided that the best thing to do with this moment would be to hurry it up, like ripping off a bandaid.

"Well, as you have probably guessed, I'm bisexual. Me and Lauren.. I guess we're like.." She paused and stared off to the side, wondering how to put it.

"We're sleeping together, a lot" Lauren added.

"..thanks" Normani rolled her eyes.

"I was just helping. I figured it might be easier if I said the awkward bit" She defended. This made Normani smile slightly, despite the seriousness of the situation. Also, it actually did make it easier.

"Actually we're not just sleeping together though" Normani said.

"So you're dating?" Camila asked.

"No no" Lauren waved her hands dismissively. "We just have like.. a thing. You know".

"A thing?" Camila squinted her eyes slightly.

"Like.. we can sleep together but we can cuddle on the couch too" Normani explained.

"Like a relationship?" Camila asked, because that seemed like what was being described.

"No, it's different. Neither of us are wanting anything serious. It's hard to explain how it's different without going into heaps of detail. But just trust me, it's different" Normani replied.

"Ok, I believe you" Camila conceded.

"I really wanted to tell you Cams" said Lauren, switching the pairs attention to her. "I felt really bad not being able to, but it wasn't my secret to tell".

Normani explained further and started playing with her bracelet again. "I'm sorry I made Lauren keep secrets from you, honestly, she really wanted to tell you". Camila looked at Lauren who nodded. A small smile briefly appeared on Camila's face, but was taken away by the seriousness of the conversation. " I just.. I'm just not used to telling people I'm bi, I'm not used to having people see me that way. Lauren is the only other person I've told" Normani looked her in the eyes, which she hadn't been doing much of while explaining this. "And now I've told you too".

" Well.. It means a lot that you're trusting me with that.. not that you had much choice. But I wouldn't see you any differently, it's not like any of us saw Lauren differently when she told us about her. Granted, we hadn't known her for very long before she did".

"Thank you Camila, its a relief that you're being cool about it. I don't know why but I just kind of catastrophize and see everybody reacting badly when they probably wouldn't. I'm usually pretty rational, but not about this".

Lauren rubbed her back reassuringly. "Coming out is like, a pretty big deal. It's fair enough to feel afraid".

"Can I just ask though.." Camila was hoping this wasn't rude, but she was curious.

"Yeah?" Said Normani.

"Why will you kiss Lauren in front of everybody if you don't want people to know? I'm sure some of the girls would has assumed you were bi". She knew Dinah had and she herself had, but she wasn't naming names.

"Kissing is different, enough straight girls kiss their friends when they're drunk that it didn't feel weird. And then i kind of just kept doing it. Which makes it seem less like a straight girl thing. But like i said, i like kissing people when i'm drunk and.. I guess in a way I kind of like how it makes me ambiguous. Like I get to be out but not out. It just feels less intense than like, telling people I have sex with women".

"That makes sense" Camila felt like she was learning a lot about Normani, who she previously hadn't known very deeply. She looked to Lauren "I um.. actually, don't worry".

"No, what is it?".

" Well.. do you think that now that I know about you guys we can hang out again? Like.. You don't have to, I don't want to seem like I'm being pushy. It's just, it's been kind of feeling like you're avoiding me. And I miss you, Lauren. I know you guys want to spend a lot of time together and I'm totally cool with that. But since you're not actually dating you don't need all of your time together to be couple time, right?".

Lauren looked surprised by her openness, but her face quickly softened. "I miss you too. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that i had been avoiding you but I guess I have" She said.

"Sorry if it kind of seems like I've been stealing your best friend away" Added Normani.

"Hey it's fine, I'm not angry or anything. I just wanted to let you both know how I feel" Camila reassured, wondering if she had said too much.

"And I appreciate it, really. Life would be so much easier if people could just be honest about everything". Lauren stretched her arm over the back of the sofa, facing her body more toward the other girls. " I feel like I haven't been the greatest friend and I want to make it up to you. I'm going to make more of an effort to make you feel included, I promise". She paused for a moment. "And actually, you're right, that'll be way easier now that I can be honest about the me and Normani situation".

"I will too. We don't know each other as well as you and Lauren, but you're really cool, it'd be good to hang out with you more, if you want to, that is" Normani said.

"Oh wow.." Camila felt kind of flattered that somebody as cool as Normani had said she was cool. "I'd really like that".

"Just.. would you be ok with keeping the thing about Lauren a secret from the other girls? Like.. I'm going to tell them, but when I'm ready but.."

"Of course and hey, its totally your choice who you tell. You never have to tell them if you don't want to" Camila said.

Normani smiled big, taking a moment to respond. "Aw.. this is so nice. You both are really nice and we're talking about our feelings and aaah, It feels like I'm in one of those TV shows aimed at preteen girls about friendship ".

"Like the Saddle Club?" Said Camila, smiling too.

"Yeah, Camila gets it" Normani responded happily, noticing how Lauren was looking at her like she was being weird.

"Like the Saddle Club, but gayer" Lauren joked dryly. The other girls laughed.

Normani's laugh trailed off into a sigh when she looked at the clock on the wall. "We have that interview tomorrow.. Well, today..".

Lauren groaned but shifted from the couch lazily.

"I should go. If I want to have any chance of having more than two hours sleep" Camila said.

Lauren hugged her goodbye, like usual and then Normani hugged her too. Which wasn't usual, but it was nice, albiet unexpected. The main thing Camila noticed was the smell of her sweet floral perfume. It had been in the background before, but she only paid attention to it then. It smelled vaguely of frangipanis and something else she couldn't put her finger on.

"You're so tiny!" Commented Normani at the feeling of embracing her small frame. Camila giggled.

Camila left and went back to her own room. The weirdness of what had just happended didn't prevent her from sleeping, surprisingly. If anything, she felt more resolved than she did before. She was releived that she didn't feel any regrets about being so honest about how she had been feeling. She hoped that Normani didn't have any regrets either. Camila was just happy that she could have her best friend back and fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

The driver pulled into the parking lot for the office of Teen Vogue magazine. Luckily, since it was just a print interview, they didn't have to put the normal level of effort into their appearance. Most of them adopted a fairly casual look. Though not Ally and Normani. They agreed with each other that when going out in public, you should be prepared for anything. Which is why they had noticeably more makeup on than the other girls. Camila and Lauren enjoyed not having to put in such an effort. This wasn't as noticeable with Camila though, since wearing a dress tends to give the illusion that you're all dressed up, even if you aren't.

They walked into the magazine office and the interview began shortly after.

They got asked many of the usual questions, about the album, the tour, the fans. Answering the same questions over and over should be a part of their job description. Obviously the readers and casual fans would want to know the basics though, so it couldn't really be helped. Camila felt quite nervous being interviewed, back in the beggining. Until Lauren told her to just pretend that she's doing a MySpace survey, like they used to do when they were much younger Where you would answer all those silly questions like "What's your favorite ice cream flavor" and "Have you ever kissed a boy?" and post it as a bulliten. It was silly but for some reason it helped her to take it less seriously.

"And that bring us to our last question. Describe what your ideal man would be like" Said the interviewer.

"He needs to have a good heart, that's what's most valuable to me" Answered Ally sweetly.

He has to make me laugh. If he can't make me laugh, sorry, not gonna happen" Said Dinah.

"You'd never even give an unfunny guy a chance?" Camilla asked almost teasingly.

"Oh yeah, like I'm the girl with unrealistic standards" Dinah joked.

"What is your ideal type Camila?" The interviewer asked interestedly.

"Niall Horan".

"Just Niall Horan?" The interviewer smiled.

"Yup" Camilla giggled.

"See?" Dinah laughed. "At least I'm being realistic with my ideal guy".

"And Lauren?".

"Hmm.." She pondered. "I want somebody who is loyal, honest and treats me with respect. It's good if they can entertain me too because I get bored like, really easily".

"Normani?".

"He would need to be supportive and be there for me when I need him. Respect is a big thing for me too. Can't be with a man if he doesn't respect you".

"Well that just about wraps it up. Thanks for coming down and good luck with your tour".

 

 

Lauren had said that she liked to do stuff like using general neutral pronouns wherever possible. Because her fans who aren't straight themselves are more likely to pick up on it. But to everybody else who reads the interview, it mostly fly's under the radar.

The girls walked down to the car. Lauren came up from behind Camilla, giving her a shock. "You wanna hang out with us in my hotel room when we get back?". She smirked a little at the way her friend jumped when she noticed she was there.

"Yeah, that'd be nice" She said.

They got into the car and were driven back to the hotel. Due to scheduling conflicts, mainly the venue they are playing at being booked by another band, they wouldn't have their concert in this city until tomorrow. So after the interview they get a free day. Which had been increasingly rare this tour.

"I want to go shopping!". Ally was looking out the window at the many shops they were driving by. The city was bustling with people and fun places to go. She put her hands on Dinah's shoulder. "Dinah, wanna go shopping?".

"Yes.." She said sadly but with a smile. "But you have all your makeup done and I look so bad".

"I brought my makeup with me" Tempted Ally, tapping her handbag with a smile.

"Really?".

"Yeah we could touch up your makeup now if you want" She pulled out a powder compact before she even had an answer.

"Well.. ok" Dinah agreed. "I can't put on makeup in a car though, can you do it?".

" Normani is the best at makeup" This got Normani's attention, who was sitting on the other side of Dinah. "Please?" Ally pleaded, half because she wanted to not be the person blamed if it went badly. Half because yeah, Normani is really good at makeup.

"Driver, could you please park somewhere the next chance you get?" Asked Ally.

"Of course" The driver replied. Though the city was so packed that such a thing could be hard to find.

"You guys can come too" Ally offered.

"Thanks, but we were just gonna hang out a relax at the hotel" Said Normani, applying a powder to the contour of Dinah's cheekbones. Dinah held back a knowing smile.

"And what are you going to do Camila?" Dinah asked, moving her head, which Normani reminded her not to do.

"I'm gonna hang out with them at the hotel" She answered.

Dinah's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Don't" Normani told her, since she was literally just about to touch the eyebrow pencil to her face.

Camila turned around in her seat so she could watch Normani do Dinah's makeup. Normani could be so impressive sometimes. With knowing her you would almost forget, because she doesn't make a big deal out of it, but she was good at so many things. Camila got to see her sing and dance. But her other talents were a rarer sight. It felt more special in a way. Like they were hidden magic you only got to see if you knew her. And the way she had transformed Dinah in a matter of minutes in a moving car, that was magic.

The car pulled up at let Ally and Dinah out of the car. Then it drove the remaining girls to the hotel.

 

 

They went straight up to Lauren's room. Camila noticed upon entering that the broken glass by the table was gone. But that did remind her of of the image of Lauren and Normani when she walked in on them, naked and disheveled. But she tried to forget, there was no reason for this to be weird.

The room was spacious, with a separate area for kitchen and dining near the entrance. It also had an area for lounging and sleeping. Where the TV was visible from the large queen bed or the couch.

"Well, what do you guys wanna do?" Asked Lauren, her eyes distracted by her phone. She leaned against the kitchen bench while she finished reading what she was looking at.

"I dunno" Said Normani, taking her shoes off.

Lauren looked up from her phone. "Camila?.. You always have something you're excited about, or something you want to make people watch".

" I don't make you" she pouted.

"No, no, it's a good thing. How excited you get about stuff can be kind of contagious. You're way better at finding stuff to do than I am" Lauren explained.

Camila smiled and said cautiously "..well I did see this really good cat video.."

"I wanna see" Lauren got her laptop and they sat on the couch, with Lauren in the middle.

Camila ended up showing them pretty much all of the funny youtube videos which she had watched in Lauren's absence. Which was a lot. Normani showed her some of her favorite new music videos, which she was so surprised that they hadn't seen. Lauren wasn't as into YouTube in her spare time, so she just watched what they were showing her, Camila was usually her source of this kind of stuff.

"I swear I make a mental note to never buy or use anything that advertises on YouTube" Lauren commented at just how many unskippable ads there had been.

"Same" Normani laughed.

 

 

Camila stretched back, finally done with her videos. "Sorry if I got a bit carried away there. Like, I know there can never be too many cat videos, but still".

"It was good. I missed getting my dose of cat videos from you" Lauren closed her laptop. "Man, you know, even our fans noticed that we hadn't been spending as much time together. I've been getting all these tweets asking if Camren is dead" She laughed.

"Oh no" Camila laughed slightly, touching her own face.

"It's funny you know, she gets way more tweets about Camren than she ever does about Laurmani. The Laurmani tweets are almost non existent by comparison" Normani told her.

"That's so weird" Said Camila.

"I know, right? Where's the love for Laurmani?" Normani joked.

"Hey do you guys want to take a twitter selfie?" Lauren looked to Camila and smirked. "We can show the fans that Camren hanging out again".

"Yeah sure, should we just take it here or?.." Camila asked.

"Nah, we have to do something cute" Normani was already fixing her hair with her fingers.

Lauren bounced up. "Guys come over here, I have an idea". She sat down on the bed. Camila and Normani walked over and stood in front of her. " Lie down with me" She said, laying down with her legs dangling off the side. They complied and laid down either side of her.

Camila turned her head toward Lauren. "What are we doing?".

"Just like, lean your heads in" She put an arm over each girl, lightly coaxing their bodies closer. "The fans will like it. It'll be like.. a Laurmarila selfie".

"Laurmarilla? The three of us have a ship name?" Camila squinted her eyes.

"You just made that up didn't you?" Normani tilted her head so it was on Laurens shoulder.

Lauren chuckled and held her phone in position above the group. "You ready?".

They took a selection of photos with different facial expressions, they had enough that they were bound to have at least a few that were twitter worthy.

The group sat next to each other on the edge of the bed. Camila and Normani leaned in to see Laurens phone better while she swiped through the photos.

"Hmm nope.. nup.. Aaah I look so bad.. That photo could be ok.. nup..".

"Hey wait go back" Said normani, swiping on Laurens phone.

The group paused, staring at the picture until Camila broke the silence. "..Why do I look like an old man?". Lauren laughed abruptly and loudly, then stopped herself. A smile crept over Normani's face.

"You don't look like an old man, you just.. Lauren further examined the picture, zooming in. ".. look like an old man". Then she let herself burst out laughing again.

"I'm sorry Camila" Said Normani genuinely, failing to hold back her own giggles.

Camila snatched the phone from Lauren's hand, which was only holding it limply. She started laughing too when she looked at the picture more closely. "Why do I look like that?" She exclaimed.

It was something about the way the shadow fell and the way her face was positioned. The way that her jaw seemed to jut out and her eyes were half closed didn't help either.

Lauren grabbed the phone back and zoomed. "Why is this old man leaning on my shoulder" She remarked, zooming the photo in and out comically.

Camila lightly hit her and the group laughed until their cheeks hurt.

"It's..It's not even.. that funny" Camila struggled to get the words out through her giggles. Which just made the others laugh more.

"I'm uploading it to twitter" Said Lauren, hurriedly tapping the app.

"No!" Camila tried to grab Lauren's phone but she quickly moved it out of her reach. "You can't!" She struggled to stretch her arm.

This went on for a while until Normani effortlessly snatched the phone from Lauren's hand while she was distracted. "Don't pick on Camila" She told her.

"But i.. Fine" Lauren conceded.

"Thank you" Normani said sweetly, putting an arm around Lauren and brushing her cheek against hers. Camila was just amazed at how easily Normani could make Lauren back down.

"Which photo are we actually gonna upload?" Normani swiped through the photos, but in a way where all of them could see the phone screen.

"We look kind of cute there". The other girls agreed with Camila. They decided this was the photo to upload so Normani gave the phone back to Lauren who put the photo on twitter.

Lauren put her phone back in her pocket and there was a brief silence.

"What now?" Asked Normani.

"..We could order a bunch of room service food?" Suggested Lauren. The others were keen on the idea since they had barely eaten that day. Especially Camila, who had been tempted by the idea since they checked into the hotel. They flicked through the small menu book that had been left on the kitchen counter. After they had decided what they wanted, pizza, pasta and ice cream, Normani picked up the hotel phone and ordered.

 

 

They talked while they waited for it to arrive and somehow they got on the topic of Camila's ex boyfriend. Which lead to more discussion about Camila's love life. Or lack thereof.

"So you don't have anybody you like right now?" Lauren leaned against the table while Camila and Normani were leaning against the side of the couch.

Camila shook her head. "Honestly, when would I have time for that guys?" She looked at both of them.

"Well I dunno, I hadn't been spending much of my free time with you. For all I know you could have gone out and met somebody" Lauren answered.

"I basically live in my hotel room when we're on tour. Well, we all do technically, but you know what I mean".

There was a silence until Normani got curious. "When was the last time you kissed somebody?".

This immediately got Lauren's interest. "Yeah! Has there been anybody since Austin?".

Camila played with her hair nervously, feeling a bit cornered, but in a way it still felt fun. Kind of like the way that little girls at a sleepover push each other to tell secrets. Her silence only made them want to know more. Then finally she felt like she had to answer. "Not really.." She mumbled.

"That was like.. A year ago!" Exclaimed Lauren.

"It doesn't really bother me" Said Camila.

"It doesn't really bother you? You're like a romance camel! I could never do that" Lauren said, her voice still a bit unintentionally loud.

Camila shrugged. "You get used to it".

"Yeah, it doesn't have to be a big deal. I've gone similar lengths of time when I was younger and knew that I needed to be focusing on other stuff more. If you aren't into casual hookups it's better to wait around for the right person than to date somebody who isn't right while you wait" Normani explained, which Camila found somewhat comforting. Or at least it made her feel more normal than Lauren did. "What's the longest you've ever gone without kissing somebody, Lauren?".

" Uh.." Lauren scratched her head. "Like.. 2 weeks ish?". Camila and Normani were clearly taken aback. " That was after I figured out that you know, I wasn't into dudes though. Before that I barely ever kissed people, but that doesn't count".

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Room service!" A man announced from behind the door.

Camila bounced up from where she had been leaning, like she was suddenly refreshed. "Oooo here it is" She said happily, opening the door.

A man entered with a small push trolley full of food. He unloaded their order onto the table and asked if there was anything else that he could help with. When the girls thanked him and let him know that they wouldn't need anything he wheeled the trolley out and left.

"Wow wow, this looks so good" Said Camila, staring at the feast that lay on their table.

Normani looked at her and smiled, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "This is way to much food".

"Honestly, you'd be surprised" Said Camila, sitting down at the table.

"She's right you know" Agreed Lauren, dragging the extra chair over. She knew her friend all too well.

They decided to share a bit of everything. Serving up big plates of pizza and pasta with ice cream bowls to the side. It was all delicious and perfect. It was almost good enough to distract Camila from the fact that they were eating at the table Lauren and Normani had sex on. Almost.

It made her uncomfortable that her mind would keep going back to that image. There was no good reason for it. Camila noticed that she had been kind of absently staring at her plate while Lauren and Normani were distracted with each other.

Camila made more of an effort to participate in the conversation, which made her forget about it. They talked about the concert they're going to be doing tommorow and were kind of sad that after it was over, it would be back to the tour bus. Then they got to talking about more general stuff. Camila told them all the latest news about one direction. While Lauren wasn't a huge fan herself, she was at least kind of a casual fan and she enjoyed the gossip from Camila and had fun speculating about what was really happening vs what the bands PR department was telling the public. Without having much to contribute about that topic herself, when they seemed finished Normani told them some interesting stuff she had read about Beyonce recently. Camila noticed how completely drawn in Lauren seemed, and the smile growing on her face. Lauren just really loved the way that Normani's eyes lit up and the excitement in her voice when she talked about beyonce. Enthusiasm was really cute to her.

Eventually, when it got a fair bit later, Camila decided it was time to go back to her room. They offered that she could sleep on the couch if she wanted to, but that seemed like a bad idea when she had a concert to perform. She kind of figured they might actually prefer to get the room to themselves anyway. She hugged them both goodnight and walked out into the hallway. Then down to her own room, which felt much quieter.


	3. Chapter 3

They performed their show, which the crowd went wild for. Then when they were finished, it was straight to the tour bus and onto the next city. Normani and Lauren were different on the tour bus, compared to how Camila had seen them in the hotel. There were no kisses, flirting or touches and definitely no sleeping next to each other. So for the most part everybody hung out as a group on the bus. Ally wanted everybody to play monopoly, because she had bought it while her and Dinah were out shopping, for the specific purpose of playing on the tour bus. It was a special magnetic monopoly board that was made for playing in a car, so the pieces don't go flying when you turn a a corner sharply. Lauren wanted to make it very known that she hated monopoly, but eventually, with some coaxing from the others, she agreed to play.

While they were playing, Camila felt like Ally was watching her. Not like, staring, but she definitely felt her eyes on her more than she usually did but it didn't bother her. Lauren groaned every time something bad happened to her, like landing on somebody's else's property. As though to say 'See? You made me play monopoly and this is what happened'. However, it kind of became like a joke, because Lauren had quite exceptionally bad luck and the groans would become more exaggerated and mixed with laughter. Normani and Dinah seemed to be dominating the game, Dinah had the most properties, but Normani had the properties that everybody wanted, like Mayfair and Park Lane and was gradually loading them with hotels.

 

 

Lauren put her hands up in defeat. "Finally! I'm free". Having gone bankrupt and lost the game, she stood up almost immediately. "I'll see you guys later" She said in a smug tone of voice you would expect if she had won the game. Though to her, getting to stop early was like winning. She stretched her arms up, which was necessary after how long she had been sitting and left to hang out in her bed. Her bed was toward the front of the bus. Well away from where the group was playing. Shortly after, maybe 20 minutes later, Normani decided she was done playing.

"Hey, I'm pretty tired guys. I'm gonna go lie down". Ally didn't hide her dissapointment, but she didn't try to stop her. "Who wants my properties?" Normani offered.

Because everybody wanted the properties, the decided that the only fair thing to do was to roll a dice for it and Ally won. "Good luck guys" Normani said as she stood up. Camila watched her leave and walk back towards the front of the bus.

Camila found herself a bit less involved in the game, not taking it quite as seriously. Maybe she was getting tired too. They kept playing. Though the odds were stacked in Ally's favor, Dinah remained competitive.

"It's your turn" Said Ally, catching Camila who was looking back over her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry" She turned her focus back to the game, trying to avoid Dinah's army of hotels. Which was mostly impossible. Eventually, Camila went bankrupt, which she definitely saw coming. Then she excused herself to go to bed. She walked through to the front half of the bus, where the walls were lined with bunk beds. She would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little bit dissapointed when she saw that Normani and Lauren were already asleep. But it didn't bother her too much. Camila's favorite part of being on the tour bus was going to sleep. Though some of the other girls didn't like it, she actually found the movements of the bus comforting. She put on her short polka dotted pajama dress and gently drifted off to sleep.

Camila squinted as soon as she blinked her eyes open. She had forgotten to slide over the curtain that covered her window before she went to sleep and the morning sun was blaring on her face. She groaned and slid it closed. She rolled over but realized very quickly that she wasn't getting back to sleep. Eventually she accepted this. She grabbed her phone and gently stepped out of bed, careful not to wake any of the other girls.

She walked into the kitchen of the bus. It was nothing impressive, just a kettle, toaster and mini fridge, but it was enough. She put some bread in the toaster and checked her phone. She was not happy to see that it wasn't even 6am yet. She groaned again. She didn't even feel awake, it was like she was making toast on autopilot. When the toaster dinged she spread jam on her bread, put it on a plate and ate it where she was standing.

Then, from the back end of the bus, Ally and Dinah walked through into the kitchen. "Hey guys, I didn't know you were up early too?" Said Camila. They both groaned tiredly in response, but Dinah's had a slight laugh to it. "Are.. you guys ok?".

"We haven't slept, that's what we're going to do now" Ally said hoarsely. When Camila looked at them some more, she saw that it was actually really obvious.

"We have a concert today you-"

"I know.. I know.." Ally interrupted, almost ashamedly.

"It's not like I'm angry, just.. What were you doing?" She asked, taking another bite of her toast.

"We were.." Camilla noticed Dinah looking off to the side while Ally answered, kind of like she didn't want to be associated with what she was about to say. "We were trying to finish the game but it just kept going! It kept seeming like it was going to end but then she would land on Mayfair or I would land on Pall Mall and just.. It just kind of happened".

Camila's eyebrows raised slightly at her flustered friend. Then she smiled. "You stayed up all night monopoly?" She looked to Dinah, who had finally stopped looking away.

"Well yeah but, I couldn't just let her win" Dinah Said.

"That's so cute. You guys should go to sleep" Camila moved out of the way and gestured toward the beds. Ally and Dinah mumbled goodnight then tiredly stumbled through.

Camila moved to the main area of the bus, where they usually hang out. It had been left a bit ragged and disheveled and she decided to give it a tidy. Well she was going to, she began to. A problem with when Camila cleans is she is too easily distracted If she finds an item that is more interesting than cleaning, its over. As she was picking stuff up off the floor, she noticed something underneath the seats. She retrieved the purple case made of glittery semi translucent plastic.

"Woah, I forgot about this.." She mumbled. She opened it up and it was packed with a rainbow of nail polishes, just like she left it. It must have been left on the bus from their previous tour, when she had a phase of wanting to own every nail color there was. She quickly forgot the task at hand and picked out a pale pink color to paint her nails. She delicately brushed the color onto her fingertips, careful not to get too much around the edges. Then she was interrupted by footsteps and she looked up to see who they belonged to.

"Hey Camila" Normani said cheerfully. Then she yawned and stretched her arms up so far that it made her hello kitty pajama shirt reveal half of her stomach.

"Why are we up so early? Camila complained.

"I don't know about you, but I got woken up by Ally and Dinah".

" I should have told them to be quieter" Camila replied.

"Hey, it's not your fault" Normani dismissed with her hand and sat down next to her. "Wow, you've got your old nail polish box, I forgot about that thing".

"Yeah I found it under the chair, I must have left it here from our last tour". She resumed coating her nails carefully while she talked.

"You had so many cool colors" Commented Normani as she looked through the box, examining any shade that caught her eye.

Camila took her eyes off of her nails to glance at Normani with a smile. "Thanks. You can use any you want".

"I'd love to but I'm really bad at painting my nails" She admitted.

"I can do it for you if you want but you'd have to wait for my nails to dry" Camila held up her wet freshly coated fingertips.

"Awesome, hey I've got something we can use, I'll be right back". Normani left to very carefully and quietly get something from her bag without disturbing the other girls. Camila blew on her nails while she waited, hoping it would make them dry faster.

Normani returned with a blue tube covered with a floral design. "This is my favorite hand lotion ever. It's frangipani and vanilla" She said, sitting down next to her. She sqeezed some out and carefully rubbed it into her hands. "You can use some when your nails dry".

Camila lightly tapped her nails with her fingertips. "They're probably dry. I hope". Normani handed her the tube. When Camila squeezed some into her own hand, she immediately recognized the scent. "Hey, it's just like your perfume".

"You noticed! Yeah, it's my favorite scent. When I got it I had to buy the body lotion, the shower gel, everything".

"It's really nice" Said Camila, lightly smelling her hand. "If you give me your hand I can paint your nails now" She offered. Normani shifted a little bit closer, so close that their thighs were touching, though it seemed like she barely noticed.

"Where do you want my hand?" Normani asked, her hand hovering over Camila's lap, waiting for direction.

"Uh.. Just here" Camila took Normani's hand in her own and placed it down on the bare skin of her thigh. It's not like there was anywhere else to put it. "Which color did you want?".

"Hmm could I have the same color as you?.. If you don't mind matching" Normani looked down at Camila's fingertips that were loosely wrapped around her own hand. "It looks really pretty".

"I love matching, let's do it" Camila said, almost excitedly. It made the corners of Normani's mouth curve upwards. Camila got the same pale pink she was using before and began to paint. She was very delicate and precise, taking the time to coat each nail properly. She couldn't help but noticed how soft Normani's hands were, way softer than any man she had ever held hands with.

It kind of set Camila at ease, that even without Lauren around, Normani still wanted to hang out with her. It wasn't that Normani had done anything that hinted at her not enjoying her company, quite the opposite, but Camila vaguely worried she could be feeling obligated. However it seemed more and more like that wasn't the case. She was growing quite fond of Normani, it almost felt like she had gotten to know parts of her she didn't even know about until these last few days. Originally knowing Normani, she was that cool girl who was good at being calm and rational through almost anything. She was ambitious and hard working, the motivator of the group. But now Camila was noticing other stuff. Like how she is so friendly and gentle. How she is so soft spoken when you hang out with her not in a big group. It occurred to Camila that she had actually barely ever hung out with Normani individually before. There had been situations where they had been alone together before, but it wasn't the same.

"Could I have your other hand?". Camila delicately lifted Normani's hand off of her thigh and let it sit in her hand, waiting for Normani to replace it. Normani moved her hand away and admired the polish, then she placed her other hand in Camila's. Camila put it down on her thigh, a little higher than last time, right before the hem of her dress. She went a little wide eyed when she noticed that she done this and she felt kind of fluttery. She quickly looked at Normani to see if she had noticed. Normani was looking back at her, though she couldn't quite read why. Camila giggled slightly, uncomfortably, and moved that hand a bit lower down her thigh in a way that wasn't overly obvious. Well, she hoped it wasn't. It's not like it was even a big deal to have Normani's hand there, it's just a thigh, but she didn't want to be weird and awkward.

Camila just focused on painting her nails, possibly craning her neck over the hand a little more than she did before. Then finally she finished and sat back in her chair. "There you go".

"Thank you" Normani said happily. She held out her hands to admire them. "They look really good. Now I just have to not touch anything".

"I'm glad you like them" Said Camila, putting the nail polish away then admiring her own nails.

"Hey my guys" Said Lauren lazily. She walked towards them with a coffee and slumped down on the seat next to Normani. "What's happening?".

"Not much really I-"

Camila was interrupted by the fact that Lauren had started kissing Normani. It was more than I peck but less than what she would see when they were drinking. Lauren only just noticed then how Normani was holding her hands back as far away from Lauren as possible and pulled away.

She furrowed her brow confusedly. "Do you not want to kiss me sober in front of Camila?".

Normani waved her hands in front of her. "No no, it's nothing like that. Wet nails, see?" She stilled her hands to show her.

"Oh" Lauren laughed. "Ok, sorry". Then she spotted how Camila was wearing the same shade and smiled. "You guys are matching, that's so cute".

"Yeah, Camila did my nails" Normani explained. She looked out the window and noticed a street sign. "Hey guys, look" She gestured at it, getting the girl's attention. "We aren't actually very far away".

" Poor Ally and Dinah" Camila said softly. Lauren leaned foward to look at her as they were sitting either side of Normani.

"Why poor Ally and Dinah?" She asked.

"They stayed up all night and some of the morning playing monopoly" She said, probably more blankly than the situation demanded.

"They what?" Lauren exclaimed, her tired eyes widened. Camila just nodded, a small smile growing on her face. "See? This is exactly why I hate that game" Lauren said like they had proved her point, then she took a sip of her coffee.

"You mean they only just finished when they woke me up?" Asked Normani. Camila nodded again. Normani paused briefly before adding "..That's dedication".

"Yeah, you know how competitive they can get. Unfortunately, they're not going to get to sleep much longer" Camila commented, noticing that the street signs were alerting them that they were even closer to their destination. The others looked out the window too.

"My nails are dry" Normani told Lauren sweetly as she leaned in to kiss her, touching her hand to her cheek. Camila averted her gaze because it seemed like the polite thing to do.

 

 

When they arrived at their destination, Lauren took it upon herself to wake Ally and Dinah. She practically jumped onto their beds. Ally screamed, Dinah just swatted her away and rolled over. But eventually they were up, no matter how much they didn't want to be.

They had to rehearse for a decent portion of the day, to make sure they didn't get rusty. Then, by the time the stage was set up it was almost time for the concert. Fans came pouring into the venue, many brandishing Fith Harmony merchandize and signs. The roar of the crowd was wild, it energized them. Especially Dinah and Ally, who were pretty much wired on energy drinks by this stage.

They carried out the show flawlessly, the extra rehearsal certainly helped. It was definitely a memorable concert, for the fans and for Fith Harmony. It was a really good crowd and the songs just took off. The girls loved it when the fans got really into singing with them.

When they were finished they went backstage. Dinah was sipping her water bottle and talking to a road member who she was quite familiar with. Ally and Camila sat in the backstage lounge. There were two couches that faced each other and they sat at opposite sides. Almost like they were so sweaty and overheated that they needed as much personal space as possible. They both scrolled through their phones, waiting for the ceiling fan to cool them off. Camila's eyes would occasionally flicker over to Lauren and Normani, who were discussing something off to the side, she didn't know what though. Eventually Normani walked off to go do something and Lauren looked Camila's way. Which immediately made Camila look at her phone. She didn't want to look like she was staring.

Lauren walked over and sat down next to her. "Hey Cams, you were really great today".

"Uh thanks, you were too" Camila put her phone away to give Lauren her full attention.

"I wanted to ask you something. Me and Normani were talking and we were wondering if maybe at this hotel you'd want to share a room with us? It was fun having you around last time and I'm sure we could get a room with an extra bed, since we basically have an entire floor of rooms". Ally glanced up at the pair, but then resumed tapping at her phone, pretending not to easedrop.

" Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?" Camila checked, concealing her excitement.

Lauren looked at her like she was being kind of silly. "Of course not, I'm offering" She told her.

"Um.. Ok.. Sure" Camila smiled. This answer made Lauren smile too.

"Awesome, I'll go tell Normani and we'll get it sorted with the hotel". Lauren bounced up and went off to find Normani. Camila felt happier already.


End file.
